It is conventional to encapsulate integrated circuit dies such as semiconductors in a suitable plastic package to protect the integrated circuit mechanically, electrically, and chemically. However, such encapsulation also encloses the heat generating attributes of the integrated circuit and undesirably reduces its heat dissipation. In order to overcome this problem, solid metal inserts have been included in some epoxy encapsulants in an attempt to provide a heat sink for transferring the generated heat out of the encapsulated integrated circuit package. However, such solutions have been expensive and such encapsulated packages were subject to failure since it is difficult to provide a good seal between a plastic encapsulant and a solid metal heat sink.
The present invention is directed to a plastic encapsulated integrated circuit having a heat sink which includes a thermoplastic material having a plurality of thermoconductive particles molded therein to provide a high-performance, high-sinking package which is securely sealed.